The side room of the small courtyard, usually used for storing miscellaneous items, had been cleared out by Zhou Kai to serve as his pill refining space.

With a thought, a one-foot-tall, ancient-looking pill furnace appeared in the room.

There were several noticeable dents and scratches on its edges and corners, and even a slight depression in one spot, clearly having weathered many storms.

This was a trophy he had seized from an unlucky fellow during his early days as a Bandit Cultivator.

Its grade wasn’t high, but it was more than sufficient for refining first-grade pills.

The medicinal herbs provided by Chen Heming were neatly arranged to the side. Their age wasn’t great, and their Spirit Qi could only be considered average, but they made up for it in quantity, making them perfect for practice.

Zhou Kai sat down cross-legged, not rushing to begin.

He once again reviewed the contents of the first half of the “Green Spirit Minor Pill Art” in his mind—the basic pharmacology, fire control techniques, pill-sealing hand seals… Comparing them with the understanding granted by the system’s 【Pill Refining Art (First Grade 25/100)】, the words on the Jade Slip seemed to come alive.

Many originally obscure and ambiguous points instantly became clear.

“The Jade Slip only provides the basics; the core purification and pill condensation techniques are severely lacking. No wonder the Chen family can’t cultivate a decent alchemist themselves.”

A faint wisp of spiritual power emerged from his fingertip and was injected into the base of the pill furnace.

The furnace trembled slightly as the temperature of its walls gradually increased.

Zhou Kai focused intently, feeding the first batch of herbs into the furnace according to his understood sequence and timing.

The scents of various herbs steamed and mingled under the high heat, filling the small side room.

The Jade Slip’s description of fire control was vague, mentioning only “alternating between civil and martial fire.”

But in Zhou Kai’s mind, he knew clearly when to increase spiritual power to make the flames surge and when to reduce it for gentle nurturing. Even subtle temperature differences within different areas of the furnace were keenly perceived and adjusted by him with the aid of his system knowledge.

One hour later.

Sweat beaded on Zhou Kai’s temples, trickling down his cheeks.

Pill refining tested not only skill but also consumed mental energy and spiritual power.

With his Qi Condensation fourth layer cultivation and an obstructed dantian circulation, sustaining this was quite strenuous.

But his eyes were bright, his spirit exhilarated.

“Condense!”

Zhou Kai let out a low shout. His hand seals changed abruptly, and his spiritual power output suddenly intensified.

The liquid inside the furnace rapidly spun and contracted, finally dividing into round pill embryos.

After another moment, the furnace fire gradually died down.

Impatiently, Zhou Kai slapped the furnace lid open with a tap.

Dang!

The lid sprang open, releasing a wave of rich medicinal fragrance that washed over him.

At the bottom of the furnace lay a thumb-sized, pale green pill. Its surface was smooth, emitting faint ripples of Spirit Qi.

“The third batch succeeded again! But why only one pill?”

The moment he opened the lid, Zhou Kai’s eyes lit up sharply!

A pill lay at the bottom of the furnace. But unlike the previous low-grade ones, this pill had a more vibrant green hue. A faint shimmer seemed to flow across its surface, and its emitted Spirit Qi fluctuations were noticeably stronger!

First attempt: one set of materials yielded two pills.

Second attempt yielded three pills. Third attempt yielded one pill—but it was a mid-grade Qi Gathering Pill!

He opened his panel.

【Cultivation Arts: Pill Refining Art (First Grade 25/100)】

“According to the ‘Green Spirit Minor Pill Art,’ one set of materials can theoretically yield ten pills. So my success rate is just over twenty percent. The system really does strictly control things proportionally.”

“While Qi Gathering Pills can speed up spiritual power accumulation, they’re barely helpful for my ‘obstructed dantian’ condition. Exchanging these few pills for Spirit Stones would be more worthwhile.”

“This single mid-grade Qi Gathering Pill could probably sell for ten Spirit Stones at Crouching Tiger Mountain’s market district? That’s equivalent to a month’s hard work for those early-stage Qi Condensation cultivators.”

Qi Gathering Pills, as their name suggests, help Qi Condensation cultivators gather heaven and earth Spirit Qi to accelerate cultivation speed.

One low-grade Qi Gathering Pill is enough for an early-stage Qi Condensation cultivator to refine and absorb over three days, increasing their spiritual power by a fraction.

It might not seem like much, but for cultivators with average Spirit Root aptitude, this is many times faster than relying solely on their own breathing exercises.

Resources are scarce in the cultivation world; Spirit Stones are especially hard to earn.

Even within Heavenly Spring Sect, an ordinary early-stage Qi Condensation cultivator might only earn a little over a hundred Spirit Stones after a year of hard work.

And one low-grade Qi Gathering Pill costs five Spirit Stones.

A hundred Spirit Stones could buy twenty pills—enough for just sixty days of cultivation.

Most Loose Cultivators or disciples from minor families can only rely on meager ambient Spirit Qi to accumulate spiritual power at an excruciatingly slow pace. Breaking through realms seems like a distant dream.

Zhou Kai sighed at the difficulty of cultivation—and this was just early-stage Qi Condensation. The further one goes, the greater the demand for pills, magical treasures, techniques… The consumption of Spirit Stones becomes astronomical.

“Crouching Tiger Mountain’s market district is controlled by the Wang family. With three Foundation Establishment ancestors overseeing it, safety is assured. I’ll go there to sell these pills and buy some talismans for combat. Tomorrow I’ll head up the mountain to hunt demonic beasts.”

Chen Ziyi’s gentle voice came from outside the door. “Master? Are you alright? It’s been quiet inside; I was getting worried.”

Zhou Kai stored away his pills and stood up to open the door.

Chen Ziyi stood there gracefully. She had changed into new light pink robes that made her skin appear even fairer. Her hair was carefully styled with a simple pearl hairpin inserted. Clearly, during this hour while Zhou Kai refined pills, she had gone out somewhere and taken care of her appearance.

“Silly girl,” Zhou Kai chuckled as he ruffled her hair affectionately before stepping aside to let her in. “Look! Your man is now a genuine first-grade alchemist!”

He held out that mid-grade Qi Gathering Pill before Chen Ziyi’s eyes.

“Wow! Such a beautiful pill!” Though Chen Ziyi didn’t understand pill grades, she could still sense this pill’s extraordinary nature; her eyes sparkled brightly as she exclaimed, “Master! You’re amazing! Succeeding on your first try!”

“That goes without saying.” After putting away his pill properly again, Zhou Kai looked down at her newly changed robes—a thought stirring within him…

Seeing Chen Ziyi’s admiring gaze filled him with pride while another idea crossed his mind: I’ve just started refining successfully, but my proficiency (First Grade 25/100) remains too low… To improve quickly I must rely on my system… I need Omni-Points.

A mischievous grin tugged at his lips as he took hold of Chen Ziyi’s hand, leading her toward the center of the room…

“Ziyi dear… You see, since I’ve just become an alchemist, many techniques aren’t yet familiar enough—I really need diligent practice.” He spoke seriously now.

Chen Ziyi nodded obediently. “Mhm mhm! Master should practice more so later you can refine even more powerful pills!”

“Right!”

“But then…” His tone shifted suddenly, leaning close enough so his warm breath brushed against her ear while lowering his voice conspiratorially. “…You know those powerful master alchemists always have several beautiful apprentices around them helping pass materials, fanning flames, controlling fire levels, etc., right?”

Blinking somewhat confusedly yet still following along, she replied softly, “…Seems so? I think I’ve heard something like that…”

“So then…” Wrapping an arm around her slender waist, feeling a slight tremble through her body before whispering directly into her ear once more. “…To help me progress faster, become a stronger alchemist striving towards a better life together later… How about we play a game?”

“…G-game?” Her pretty face flushed pink, already sensing Zhou Kai’s wandering hands; her voice trembling slightly now…

“Mhm-hmm…” Planting a kiss upon her smooth cheek before continuing playfully. “…Let’s play the ‘Alchemist & His Little Apprentice’ game! You act as my little apprentice while I teach you the profound mysteries behind pill refining—how about it?”

“Ah?!” She gasped softly, cheeks instantly turning crimson, shyly lowering her head down further, whispering almost inaudibly now. “…But it’s still daytime…”

“What about daytime?! Daytime also requires diligent study and hard practice if we want to achieve the Great Dao sooner rather than later! Little apprentice—your master shall now guide you towards comprehending… the supreme path where Yin-Yang harmonizes perfectly, blending inseparably like a milk-water union!”

“Eek…”

The door closed gently behind them, soon followed by a few muffled, surprised yelps and coquettish protests before being replaced entirely by far more intimate sounds instead…

…

One hour later…

Clouds dispersed, rain ceased…

【Available Omni-Points: 14】

That recent ‘teaching session’ earned him fourteen Omni-Points total…

“This system really is straightforward and brutal—suits me perfectly fine.” He grinned widely, without hesitation allocating all fourteen points directly onto his Pill Refining Art skill…

【Cultivation Arts: Pill Refining Art (First Grade 39/100)】